Ambulance Squad is in top 50 of online contest

Indian River County Volunteer Ambulance Squad volunteer Bob Gilmore transports Pat Applegate to a medical appointment.

Mary Martin

VERO BEACH - Thanks to everyone who voted online for the Indian River County Volunteer Ambulance Squad in a recent contest sponsored by CITGO Petroleum Corp.

The Fueling Good Program awards $5,000 CITGO gasoline cards to nonprofit organizations that get the most contest votes.

While the squad did not win the contest, the organization ranked in the top 50 among the 1,700 charities that were competing. With almost 150,000 total votes cast, being in the top 50 is quite an achievement, especially since a number of nonprofits in the contest were national organizations with a much larger voter pool.

As one of the top 50, the Volunteer Ambulance Squad received a $25 CITGO gift card.

Launched in 1966, the squad provides free rides to non-emergency medical appointments for hundreds of Indian River County residents, both ambulatory and in wheelchairs, who have no other means of transportation. The squad has 50 volunteers who drive a fleet of four wheelchair vans and five minivans.

Each year the squad makes about 13,000 trips, logs 128,000 miles and uses 6,600 gallons of gas. The organization relies solely on donations and receives no United Way or government funding.